Sphex nigrohirtus, Kohl, 1895

Dörfel, Thorleif H. & Ohl, Michael, 2022, The wasp genus Sphex in Sub-Saharan Africa (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 796 (1), pp. 1-170 : 15-17

Key B: Species of the Sphex nigrohirtus group

1. Propodeal setae golden or silvery-golden, obscuring sculpture completely .................................... .................................................................................................................. S. ahasverus Kohl, 1890

– Propodeal setae black or silvery-white, leaving sculpture partially visible.................................2

2. Female: body length> 28 mm; mandible black with only small dark ferruginous stripe centrally; conspicuous clypeal indentation. Male: flagellomeres IV–VII with broad placoids covering their entire length; apical part of penis valvae dorsolaterally with concave emargination ( Figs 79–80 ) .............................................................................................................. S. camerunicus Strand, 1916

– Female: body length <28 mm; basal half of mandible bright ferruginous; smaller clypeal indentation. Male: flagellomere V or VI with narrow placoid; apical part of penis valvae dorsolaterally flat or convex ( Figs 81–82 )...........................................................................................3

3. Significant portion of erect setae on inner part of propodeal enclosure silvery ( Fig. 85 ). Male: cellular wing area partially hyaline, with pale violet iridescence ..................................................... ........................................................................................................... S. incomptus Gerstaecker, 1871

– Erect setae on propodeal enclosure black, silvery near posterior margin at most ( Fig. 86 ). Male: cellular wing area uniformly slightly fuscous, with conspicuous purple ( Fig. 87 ) or cyan-violet iridescence..........................................................................................................................................4

4. Wings with cyan iridescence. Female: appressed setae posterolaterally on collar and propodeum and erect setae on posterior propodeal margin uniformly black ( Fig. 84 ) .......................................... .................................................................................................................... S. nigrohirtus Kohl, 1895

– Wings without any cyan iridescence. Female: appressed setae posterolaterally on collar and propodeum and erect setae on posterior propodeal margin silvery ( Fig. 86 ). Male: iridescence on forewing Byzantium-colored ( Fig. 87 ) .................................................... S. pulawskii sp. nov.

Figures

Figs 79–84. 79–80. Apical third of penis valvae in ♂♂ of Sphex camerunicus Strand, 1916. 81–82. Apical third of penis valvae in ♂ of S. nigrohirtus Kohl, 1895. 79, 81. Dorsal view. 80, 82. Lateral view. 83. S. camerunicus, habitus of ♀. 84. S. nigrohirtus, habitus of ♀.

Figs 85–92. 85–86. Habitus of ♀. 87–90. habitus of ♂. 85. Sphex incomptus Gerstaecker, 1871. 86– 87. S. pulawskii sp. nov. 88. S. abbotti abbotti W. Fox, 1891. 89. S. abbotti nivarius subsp. nov. 90. S. bohemanni Dahlbom, 1845. 91. Geographic distribution of S. incomptus (red) and S. pulawskii sp. nov. (blue). 92. Geographic distribution of S. a. abbotti (red), S. a. nivarius subsp. nov. (blue), S. abyssinicus (Arnold, 1928) (yellow) and S. bohemanni (purple).